


Nightmares

by Fandom_Trash_Goblin



Series: Stex drabbles [9]
Category: Starlight Express - Phillips/Stilgoe/Webber
Genre: F/M, Greaseball and Cb see what Rusty felt like, I’ll explain it later m8, M/M, Multi, YESH, train satan makes this happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:42:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29662641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_Trash_Goblin/pseuds/Fandom_Trash_Goblin
Summary: What if Greaseball was the runt loser and Rusty was the alpha leader?here’s a guide to the Rockies and Hip Hoppers if you need it:Rocky = Rocky 1/redRocco = Rocky 2/yellowRoxy = Rocky 3/greenRocket = Rocky 4/blueJive = Hip Hopper 1/yellowJazz = Hip Hopper 2/redMelody = Hip Hopper 3/blueTune = Hip Hopper 4/pink
Relationships: CB | Caboose/Dustin/Flat-Top (Starlight Express), Greaseball/Dinah (implied), Pearl/Rusty (Starlight Express)
Series: Stex drabbles [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2122296
Comments: 10
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

_ Today was the day! The day Greaseball would prove that diesel was the future! All he had to do was show Rusty and the freight that he could do it!  _

_ “Woo woo! Woo woo! Nobody can do it like a diesel!”  _

_ This was going to be harder than he thought. _

_ One of the Rockies came up from behind him, bumping his chest against his back in a threatening way, “You going in for the race, diesel?”  _

_ Dustin snorted, shoving him a little, “You’re too small to win! And you’re weak like all diesels!”  _

_ “I...Diesel is the future!” Greaseball stuttered, he have been a runt but he wasn’t weak!  _

_ “Diesel is unreliable!” One of The Rockies called. _

_ “Yeah man, steamers have been around for decades!” One of The Hip Hoppers snickered. _

_ “Face the facts, Greaseball, you’re a nobody!” Rusty smirked.  _

_ “Nobody diesel train! Hi, nobody!” The freight cackled, circling around Greaseball. _

_ Greaseball never felt so small, and he was used to feeling pretty small when Rusty and the freight messed with him.  _

_ He yelped as his wheels were unexpectedly swept out from under him. It was Rusty.  _

_ “You need to learn to give up, diesel!” He chuckled.  _

_ “At least I don’t spit up smoke and smut everywhere I go!” Greaseball growled. _

_ It didn’t have the affect he hoped it did, because Rusty smirked, “Teach him a lesson, trucks! Maybe you’ll make him show some respect for steam! Cause steam is gonna win!” The steamer laughed, skating off to probably find Pearl. _

_ “R-Rusty!” Greaseball cried, trying to get back on his wheels but wobbling around. This was not good. The freight were all tough and had really good muscles. They’d literally crush him!  _

_ “C’mon man don’t let them do this to me!” Greaseball didn’t want to admit it, but he was close to tears. Rusty and him were childhood friends once, but after he was swept up in the world of racing, it was as if they’d never even known each other.  _

_ “Rust-“ He was cut of as Flat-Top abruptly kicked him in the stomach. _

_ “Bug off, man.” Jazz scoffed, “It’ll never happen.” He leaned his shoulder against Flat-Tops.  _

_ “Yeah, you’re nothing but a diesel.” Jive cracked his knuckles. _

_ “Steamers and freight do all the work!” Rocco chuckled, flexing his impressive bicep for emphasis. _

_ “Awwwww! He’s gonna cry! You gonna cry, diesel?” Roxy cackled.  _

_ “So emotional!” Dustin grinned. _

_ “All you do is make steamers get scrapped!” Rocket snickered. _

_ “Our big brother is gonna win the race, diesel!” Melody stated. _

_ “Yeah, so give up while you can still skate!” Tune’s fingers twitched as if he was anxious to just get on with the beating.  _

_ “Alright, Alright, let’s get it done!” Rocky shoved past them. _

_ “Me first!” Melody pushed everyone out of the way and dove in for an elbow drop. And oh starlight, it hurt.  _

_ Rocky grinned and brought his wheel down on Greaseball’s head. _

_ The rest was a painful blur and Greaseball passed out several times. They eventually left him alone, just a lonely broken diesel. _

_ The next day wasn’t any better. _

_ “Hey, Dinah, you ready for the race?” He approached the dining car, excited to race with her. _

_ “Greaseball, listen, you’re great but...I can’t race with someone who gets so easily beaten. You’re bad for my image, Greasy!” Dinah explained. _

_ “But, who’ll you race with?” Greaseball deflated, he’d been planning on racing with her for months! _

_ “I’m going with Electra...” She said gently, then she skated off. Presumably to find the electric and prepare. _

_ Greaseball fell to his knees. Gear, Tank, and Lube were by his side in a second. _

_ “You okay, Grease?” Gear asked. _

_ No. He wasn’t. _

_ He could hear the freight and Rusty coming to rub it in his face that he’d lost her.  _

_ Then he heard the telltale sounds of the freight picking fights with his gang.  _

_ The first blow to his shoulder didn’t hurt too bad. _

_ “Way to go, diesel!” Rusty cackled.  _

Then Greaseball woke up. He fell out of his nest with a yell. Looking around, he realized that he was back in his shed.

“It...it was a dream!” He realized, “It was a dream!” He laughed and collapsed back into his nest, relieved that he wasn’t actually a weak squirt that got bullied by bigger engines.

Wait.

Was that how Rusty felt? 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now CB’s worst nightmare is lived!

_ CB screamed as he was uncoupled. The fact that he slammed into the railing and caused a bunch of rocks to fall did not comfort him. _

_ He felt disoriented, the ringing in his head just amplified by everyone else yelling and Control demanding to know what happened. _

_ The next thing he knew, everyone was gathered around him and were pointing at him. They only started ripping into him when he got up.  _

_ “CB did it! He caused the wreck!” Greaseball growled.  _

_ “CB did it! He caused the wreck!” Electra snarled.  _

_ “He did it! CB did it!” The components echoed, skating off with their master.  _

_ “He did it! CB did it!” Greaseball’s gang looked ready to fight.  _

_ “Shut it! I did it! They were good, they were fast! Things looked bad, they could have got past!” Greaseball told his gang. _

_ CB looked to Rusty for support, “You said...”  _

_ Rusty sneered at him, “What did I say?”  _

_ CB bit the bullet and looked to Greaseball, “Y-you said-“ _

_ “What did I say!?” Greaseball puffed out his chest to make himself look bigger, making the small caboose shudder in his wheels.  _

_ CB turned back to Rusty, “You told the marshals I uncoupled from you!” _

_ “The Marshal’s impartial, it has to be true.” Greaseball rolled his eyes, turning to his gang, “Make sure it don’t happen again, I’m sure I don’t need to explain!”  _

_ After that, everyone dipped. Not even Rusty wanted to stay around to watch what was about to happen.  _

_ Greaseball’s gang looked real angry.  _

_CB never got why they hated him so much. Maybe it was because he was an older model of caboose, and an older train should race according to them. Despite the fact that he was actually rather young, they still made fun of his classic frame. He didn’t know the answer to why he was hated, but he was currently more concerned with how he was going to get out of this one. Sweet words and wide smiles wouldn’t get far with a gang of furious diesels who didn’t have his best interest at heart._

_CB tried skating off, but that was fruitless as two of them grabbed both of his arms and held him in place._

_ “Gonna race again, Caboose!?” Gear growled, punching his stomach. _

_ “I don’t think so!” Tank laughed, kicking him in the codpiece and making him fall to his knees.  _

_ “Get up!” Lube hissed, pulling him to his wheels just to shove him down again.  _

_ The track was full of the booming noise of laughing diesels. _

_ “You’re out of it!” Gear snapped.  _

_ “CB!” Flat-Top and Dustin rushed to him, trying to help him up. CB didn’t know what to think of it since Flat-Top had been racing with Greaseball.  _

_ Speak of the devil, Greaseball skated back to the track, “Looks like CB had a small accident, right?” _

_ “You did this!” Flat-Top pointed an accusing finger at the diesel.  _

_ “He took me on, and he lost the fight!” Greaseball looked real proud of himself.  _

_ For once, Dustin decided to be bold, “We’ll go tell the marshals!”  _

_ “They’re in it as well, they’ll only suspend you two if you ever tell!” Greaseball grinned.  _

_ “This wasn’t how I wanted! This wasn’t what I saw! Each time I try it seems I just get sadder but no wiser than before!” Flat-Top cried out before being dragged off by Greaseball.  _

_ Dustin looked down at CB, “Please just give it up!” He begged, “You’ll kill yourself trying to beat him!” He sniffled, skating off to go cry somewhere else. _

_ CB stood up, his legs wobbling heavily. _

_ He lost.  _

_ He not only lost the race, but he was got blamed for something he didn’t do! _

_ To make matters worse, Flat-Top was stuck with Greaseball and Dustin was off crying somewhere. _

_ And what was CB doing? CB was standing there in the tracks, crying to himself that he failed. He was worthless. In the corner of his eye, he saw Rusty smirk before skating off.  _

_ Why did he have to be born at all?  _

CB awoke with a groan. Starlight, his head hurt. The Tool Twins made him stay in their repair shed until his hearing was fully fixed, and his bed wasn’t the most comfortable. 

He looked up to see Toolshed looking down at him, “You were crying in your sleep. Are you okay?”

CB reached up to his eyes, they were indeed wet.

“I’m fine...” CB murmured. 

Toolshed raised a brow but nodded, skating off to do whatever repair trucks did.

CB looked around his bed, trying to make himself smile. It didn’t take long. His bed may have been uncomfortable, but Flat-Top and Dustin improved it by bringing plenty of pillows, blankets, and plushies from their nest in their shed. It was nice to have stuff that smelled like and reminded him of his partners. 

He let out a shaky sigh and looked at the ceiling. Thank Starlight it was just a dream. 

He couldn’t even begin to think about what life would be like if he was trying to be a racer but everyone hated him for no real reason.

CB’s already small smile fell.

Was that how Rusty felt? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Greaseball and CB meet train satan! Yes, you read that right!

**Author's Note:**

> CB is next!


End file.
